realism Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth
    pragmatism.
  2. noun the state of being actual or real
    realness; reality.
    • the reality of his situation slowly dawned on him
  3. noun (philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that physical objects continue to exist when not perceived
    naive realism.
  4. noun an artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description
    naturalism.
  5. noun (philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names
    Platonism.

WordNet

Re"al*ism noun
Etymology
Cf. F. réalisme.
Definitions
  1. (Philos.) (a) An opposed to nominalism, the doctrine that genera and species are real things or entities, existing independently of our conceptions. According to realism the Universal exists ante rem (Plato), or in re (Aristotle). (b) As opposed to idealism, the doctrine that in sense perception there is an immediate cognition of the external object, and our knowledge of it is not mediate and representative.
  2. (Art & Lit.) Fidelity to nature or to real life; representation without idealization, and making no appeal to the imagination; adherence to the actual fact. 3. the practise of assessing facts and the probabilities of the consequences of actions in an objective manner; avoidance of unrealistic or impractical beliefs or efforts. Contrasted to idealism, self-deception, overimaginativeness, or visionariness.

Webster 1913